However, the Election Commission did not announce the schedule for Gujarat which too goes to polls later this year. The poll panel is likely to announce the dates for 182-member Gujarat Assembly later, possibly next week.

In any case, the election fever has gripped both Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is likely to be anointed as the party president later this month, visited Mandi in Himachal Pradesh on October 7 to sound the poll bugle.

While addressing the rally, Rahul Gandhi declared Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as the party's face for the upcoming elections. He said as the six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh had carried out tremendous development of the state and expressed confidence that he would be the CM for the seventh term.

Rahul Gandhi also assured Virbhadra Singh that he had the party's full backing.

On its part, the BJP has not announced any chief ministerial candidate for Himachal Pradesh. As in Uttar Pradesh, the party is likely to contest the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Though Virbhadra Singh has dared the BJP, the opposition party in the state is unlikely to declare a chief ministerial candidate. The BJP is seeking to turn the heat against the CM.

BJP president Amit Shah visited Kangra on September 22 and called Virbhadra Singh as the "most corrupt chief minister in the history of Himachal Pradesh".

The battle lines have been drawn in Himachal Pradesh. With today's announcement of poll schedule, the election atmosphere will only be charged up in the days to come.